If you suffered injuries or property damage due to a pipe explosion, GED Lawyers can help you recover compensation for your losses with a product liability claim in Massachusetts. Our Massachusetts pipe explosion lawyers can hold the company that owns the pipeline financially liable for your medical expenses, home repairs, and more.
Our firm has fought for clients in Massachusetts and across the United States since 1995. We are not afraid to take on big utility companies or other wealthy and powerful defendants to recover the awards you deserve. Let us put our decades of experience behind your case so you can concentrate on your health, life, and family.
Recoverable Pipe Explosion Damages
According to Mass.gov, there are around 1,000 miles of interstate gas transmission pipelines running underground in Massachusetts. Three companies own, operate, and maintain the pipelines: Maritimes and Northeast Pipelines Company, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, and Algonquin Gas Transmission Company.
When negligent maintenance or other issues lead to a pipe explosion, the utility company that owns the line (or another liable party) may bear financial responsibility for any damages caused. In general, if you or your family member sustained injuries and losses due to a pipe explosion, our Massachusetts lawyers can help you seek compensation for:
- Medical expenses. You should not have to pay for medical treatment for injuries you did not cause. Our attorneys will pursue compensation for your current and future accident-related medical bills, including the cost of emergency transportation and services, hospitalizations, surgeries, burn treatments, physical therapy, prescription medications, medical devices and equipment, long-term nursing care, and more.
- Property damage. If a gas pipe explosion damaged your home, business, vehicle, or personal property, we can recover the cost of repairs and replacements. We can also seek awards for relocation and additional living expenses (ALEs) if you must vacate your property due to the damage or the construction necessary to fix it. Additionally, we can assist commercial property owners with business-related losses, such as costs associated with long-term closures or damaged/spoiled stock.
- Lost income. If you have injuries that prevent you from working or you must take time off because of the damage to your premises, we can seek compensation for your lost wages, benefits, and earnings. Additionally, if you suffered a severe or disabling injury during the pipe explosion that interferes with your ability to earn a living, we can pursue awards for your lost earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering. Our lawyers can seek damages for the physical, mental, and emotional toll of your pipe explosion injuries, including awards for scarring, disfigurement, chronic pain, loss of mobility, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Wrongful death. If your loved one suffered a fatal pipe explosion injury, we can assist their personal representative (executor) with a wrongful death claim in Massachusetts. We may be able to recover the deceased’s medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, lost income, and other damages on behalf of their estate and surviving family members.
What Causes Pipeline Explosions?
Gas pipe leaks and explosions can stem from various issues, including:
- Aging pipelines
- Defective gas pipes
- Negligent or improper line maintenance
- Negligent pipe installation
- Lack of pipeline worker training
- Overpressured gas lines
- Defective or improperly installed gas appliances (such as water heaters or clothes dryers)
- Defective or improperly filled gas tanks
- Failure to mark a pipeline before digging or excavation work
Who Is Liable?
Liability for your injuries and damages depends on the circumstances that led to your accident. Our legal team will investigate and determine responsibility. Our Massachusetts pipe explosion lawyer will then pursue a case against the entities whose defective products or negligent, reckless, or wrongful actions caused your losses. Potentially liable parties may include:
- A utility company or gas supplier
- A pipeline owner or manufacturer
- A pipeline worker
- A gas tank manufacturer
- Contractors and construction companies
Our Attorneys Will Establish Your Right to Pipe Explosion Compensation
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 106 § 2-314 establishes that, generally, manufacturers are strictly liable for injuries and damages caused by defective products, regardless of whether they acted negligently. However, to prove your product liability claim, you must show that a pipeline, gas tank, appliance, or other product caused your pipe explosion due to:
- Design defects. Claims based on design defects allege that problems existed in the product’s design, meaning that even if the product was made correctly, it would contain the defect.
- Manufacturing defects. Claims of this nature allege that a problem occurred during the product’s creation or production.
- Marketing defects. Marketing defect claims allege that the liable party failed to provide consumers with proper product instructions or warnings.
Our lawyers will build your product liability case. We can:
- Draft and file your insurance claims or lawsuits
- Identify liable parties
- Identify and evaluate your damages
- Collect evidence, including medical records, police and accident reports, photographs and videos of your physical injuries or property damages, and eyewitness and expert testimony
- Communicate with insurance agents and other involved parties on your behalf
- Represent you during negotiations and fight for the maximum possible settlement
- Pursue your case in civil court if necessary
Act Before Time Runs Out
It is usually a good idea to get started on your product liability case as soon as possible. You want to ensure our lawyers can preserve evidence, take witness accounts while the incident is still fresh in mind, and work through your claim before your window to take legal action expires.
According to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260 § 2A, you generally have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit in Massachusetts, though some circumstances may extend the deadline. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 229 § 2 also allows three years to file a wrongful death case. If you do not pursue your case within the statute of limitations, you may be left with no options for recovering compensation.
Contact GED Lawyers Today
Contact GED Lawyers today for a free consultation and learn more about how our Massachusetts pipe explosion lawyers can help with your case. We can assist with product liability and personal injury claims. Reach out 24/7 to connect with an attorney near you.
